2017 move to cease local manufacturing has been made and won?t be changing, says boss Mike Devereux.

Holden decision ?irreversible?

Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux said the decision to cease manufacturing in Australia by 2017 is irreversible.

“GM has made this decision, it is irreversible,” he said, ruling out any carrot that may be dangled by a government in future to try to change the iconic American-owned, Australian brand’s mind.

Referring to the high dollar, high manufacturing costs and competitive market regularly as a “perfect storm” Devereux was diplomatic when quizzed on the impact of government with General Motors’ decision to pull out of Australia.

“The country has some very difficult decisions to make, as does the government of the day ... it is a difficult budget environment and economic environment,” he said. “I appreciate the point of view of the government.”

In an at times heated press conference at the company’s Elizabeth production line in South Australia Devereux refused to go into details about the timing of the decision, other than to say it was made “yesterday afternoon” by the company’s senior management team in Detroit.

He also indicated the decision and its timing was not as a result of the heat applied by the Coalition government over the past week.

“GM needs to make a decision on its business and that’s what we’ve done.

“This is a General Motors decision,” he said, adding that the company had “all the information we need” to decide to pull the plug on local manufacturing.

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Devereux refused to criticise the government that has been vocal and critical of what it saw as delaying tactics, presumably because it will have to work closely with the Coalition over coming years as it winds down its local operations.

When asked what could have been done to make manufacturing more viable in Australia he also refused to be drawn pinpointing any one factor.

“That’s a question for people a lot smarter than me ... people better suited to experts in that area.”

He also refused to be drawn on where future Holdens would be sourced from.